Certified Nursing Assistant Exam Prep

Answer: A -The most common symptom of an MI is chest pain, resulting from deprivation of oxygen to the heart. Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, is the second most common symptom. Edema, the accumulation of fluid in body tissues, is a later sign of heart failure, often seen after an MI. Palpitations may result from reduced cardiac output (the volume of blood being pumped by the heart in a minute), producing arrhythmias (an irregularity in the force or rhythm of the heartbeat).